Electronic device makers, such as cell phone manufactures, computer manufactures, toy makers, use foundries or IC manufactures to make the chips used in their products. The electronic device makers make preliminary chip designs using chip design programs. The device makers give the preliminary chip designs to foundries. The foundries need to create reticles mask sets to make the chips from the preliminary designs. This process is complicated, manual, time consuming and costly.
The importance of overcoming the various deficiencies noted above is evidenced by the extensive technological development directed to the subject, as documented by the relevant patent and technical literature. The closest and apparently more relevant technical developments in the patent literature can be gleaned by considering:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,031,981 (Lee, et al.) describes a system for reconfigurable gate array cells for automatic engineering change orders.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,588(Chacon) shows an integrated FAB database and discusses connections to a process control system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,260,177b1(Lee et al.) discusses tape out processes in reticle fabrication.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,696,943(Lee) shows a method and apparatus for quick and reliable design modification.